Ball wheel and method of making the same



2- Sheets-Sheet 1 ih IVENTOR. STEPHEN C. PE'PL w BY fla wQ/wwk ArmRA/Ey Jan. 9, 1962 s. C.PEPLlN BALL WHEEL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Aug. ll 1958 Jan. 9, 1962 S. C. PEPLlN BALL WHEEL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Aug. 11, 1958 STRIP 5 T EEL CONTINUOUS FORM ROLL E0 70 SECTION (FIG-2) FORMED LENGTH Cur uvro Pxzeozrsnmsus SECTIONS 6'ECT/0NS FORMED TO 5ELE'CTEO RADIUS ASSEMJLED SECTIONS BUTT WELDEO ATJ'U/YCT/ONS fl/wsu ALL EXPosea SURFACES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. STEPHEN C-PEPL/N A TTORNE Y United States Patent 3,016,241 BALL WHEEL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Stephen C. Peplin, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to Lakewood Manufacturing Co., Westlake, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 754,427 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-49) My invention is an improvement in ball wheel coustructions for automatic pin setters.

One of the objects of the invention is a ball wheel for automatic pin setters which is characterized by its ability to resist torsional strains and thereby to effectively retain its original configuration in use.

Another object of the invention is to produce a ball wheel of the above character which is durable in use.

A further object of the invention is a ball wheel comprising an annulus formed of strip steel rolled into channel cross section throughout its extent and having a stretched wall defining its CD. or outside diameter and a compressed wall defining its 1D. or inside diameter.

A further object of the invention resides in the improved method of making ball wheels for use in automatic pin setting machines.

A further object resides in a ball Wheel of the type defined composed of pre-formed channeled sections joined together in end-to-end relation to form a complete annulus and having reinforcing box inserts at each junction of the sections welded to the areas of each section immediately adjacent each junction.

Another object of the invention is to construct a ball wheel of high contoural precision characterized by its ability to retain such precise contour in use.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparcut as the following description of an embodiment thereof progresses, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a ball ring made in accordance with my invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 2--2 of FIGURE 1, showing the box insert bridging one of the areas including the joined ends of adjacent sections of the wheel; and

FIGURE 3 is a diagram showing the several steps employed in the process or method of making the ball wheel illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2.

As is well known in the bowling art, a conventional means of conveying a bowling ball from a pit conveyor to a ball return track includes a ball wheel which is rotated within supporting guide rollers to convey a bowling ball frictionally engaging the inne circumferential surface of the ring and ball lift rods disposed within the rotating ring to a ball return track. The present invention resides in the ball wheel per se.

Ball wheels of the type employed in automatic pin setters must be rugged and at the same time must retain the precise contour with which they are endowed originally in their finished form. the ball wheel contour is such that its inside diameter and outside diameter respectively are constant throughout 360'. Furthermore, a ball wheel made in accordance with this invention will have a cross section on any radius such as that illustrated in FIGURE 2, that is, the wall defining the inside diameter will be narrower than that defining the outside diameter. The side wall connecting the inside diameter and outside diameter walls outside diameter walls will be disposed in a plane intersecting the plane of the first side wall.

In carrying out my invention, the ball Wheel is preferably formed from strip steel of suitable width which is then form-rolled to an open section, such as is illustrated in FIGURE 2. This section comprises the wall 10 defining the true outside diameter of the wheel; the inwardly disposed walls 11 and 12 which lie in the same sectional plane as in FIGURE 2, and which are subsequently butt welded together, forming a single continuous wall 13 of precise inside diameter and of a width less than that of the wall 10; and the side walls 14 and 15 connecting the inner and outer circumferential walls 13 and 10,respectively.

As described above, the side wall 14 lies normal to the inner and outer walls 13 and 10, respectively, while the side wall 15 will lie in an inclined position in a direction from the wall 13 to the wall 10'.

The formed strip is then cut into predetermined lengths which are each formed to a selected radius, while one end is anchored.

Preferably each ball wheel is composed of two lengths A and B, each formed on identical radii so that when these formed members are assembled together in end to end relation they will form a ring or wheel. In assembling the members, inserts 16 of hollow form and having a contour mating with and closely fitting the inner surfaces of the Walls 10, 13, 14 and 15 are inserted within the formed members at their abutting ends to bridge these adjacent ends, and in such position, are welded in place. The inner edges 17 and 18 of the walls 11 and 12 (shown separated in FIGURE 2) are brought into abutting relation and Welded together circumferentially and to the inserts, thus assuring a sturdy construction and one which will retain the precise original contour.

The final step in the production of the ball wheel is the finishing off of all Welds to a smooth surface to assure a smooth continuous wall defining the inside diameter of the wheel.

It Will be seen that the sectional shape of the ball wheel, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, is such that it has the ability to effectively resist torsional strains and stresses thereby insuring that the precise configuration of the wheel will at all times be preserved in use. In the forming of the wheel sections on a selected radius, the wider wall 10 will, of course, be stretched, While the inner, narrower wall 13 will have become compressed, thus imparting great strength and rigidity to the wheel.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: I

1. In an automatic bowling pin setting apparatus, a

. transfer means; for conveying a bowling ball and pins from the pit of the bowling alley to the ball return and pin setting mechanism, said means comprising a rotatable In the present invention,

at one side of the Wheel will be normal to them while the other side Wall connecting the inside diameter and from the pit of the bowling alley to the ball return and. 'pin setting mechanism, said means comprising a continuous hollow ring of polygonal radial cross section charterized by a pair ofconcentric Walls of different widths and a pair of side walls formed integrally with said first Walls, one of said side Walls being inclined with respect to the other side Wall, the other side Wall being normal to each of said concentric walls, the narrowest 01': said first pair of walls defining the inside diameter of the Wheel.

3. In an automatic bowling pin setting apparatus, a transfer means for conveying a bowling ball and pins from the" pit of the bowling alley to the ball return and pin setting mechanism, said means comprising a plurality of complementary sections assembled in end to end abutting relation and forming a continuous hollow ring of polygonal radial cross section characterized by a pair of concentric Walls and a pair of side walls formed integrally with said first walls, one of said side Walls being inclined with respect to the other side Wall, the other side wall being normal to each of said concentric walls.

4. The method of making a transfer wheel for automatic pin setting apparatus which includes first forming a strip of metal into a hollow substantially closed channel characterized by a pair of spaced apart Walls of different all of said walls to smooth continuous surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 390,553 Betts Oct. 2, 1888 640,876 Chillingworth Jan. 9, 1900 1,031,515 Bluemel July 2, 1912 1,690,684 Johnson Nov. 6, 1928 1,963,745 Ingersoll June 19, 1934 2,367,679 Holden Jan. 23, 1945 2,729,449 Montooth Jan. 3, 1956 2,892,632 Montooth June 30, 1959 

